Big shot: Kalashnikov to sell 200,000 rifles in US, Canada

The Kalashnikov Group has signed an exclusive contract with the Russian Weapon Company (RWC) to supply up to 200,000 guns to North America annually. It should boost sales in the world’s biggest civil weapons markets, while sales in Russia are shrinking.

According to the five-year agreement, the RWC Group which was
appointed Kalashnikov’s exclusive US importer back in 2012, will
be selling between 80,000 and 200,000 Russian hunting carbines,
sporting rifles and shotguns under the Izhmash and Baikal brands,
according to Kalashnikov's Elena Filatova.

“The exclusive deal with RWC will ensure Kalashnikov has
consistent sales of sports and hunting weapons in North America.
From this cooperation, we expect an increase our share of the
civil weapons market”, commented Deputy Director General for
sales and marketing of the Kalashnikov Group Pavel Kolegov.

Russia’s largest producer of firearms, the Kalashnikov Group of
companies unites the largest Russian producers of small arms
Izhmash and Izhevsk. More companies are set to join the concern
in the future.

Currently Kalashnikov Group sells guns to 27 countries, including
the US, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Italy, Norway, Kazakhstan
and Thailand.

The long and winding road to the US market

Kalashnikov bosses suspect American arms producers aren't looking
forward to having another foreign rival, and may have used some
underhand tactics to try and scupper the deal.

Kalashnikov Group Director General Konstantine Busygin was not
granted an American visa to visit the 2014 SHOT show in Las
Vegas. The contract with RWC was signed by his deputy Pavel
Kolegov, who headed Kalashnikov Group delegation to the Western
hemisphere’s largest firearms trade event.

The 36th SHOT Show-2014 exhibition is a trade show which attracts
40,000 visitors. The Kalashnikov Group presented over 30 new
models of firearms, and was one of 1,800 plus companies taking
part.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian gun makers
directed their attention abroad in order to replace sales from
reduced government contracts.

Izhmash’s Saiga rifles and shotguns, based on the reliable
Kalashnikov design, became a real hit in the US, gaining huge
popularity among gun enthusiasts.

American gun makers lobbied to limit sales of Russian arms in the
US, and an agreement was signed by then-Prime Minister Viktor
Chernomyrdin in 1996.

Despite the limitations, Kalashnikov products became popular and
sales have exceeding a million firearms. Cheap, reliable and
accurate, Russian shotguns have become a serious rival to similar
guns available on the US arms market.

The US remains the world’s largest consumer of civilian arms,
which is why most of the civilian guns produced by the
Kalashnikov Group are sold in America.

Some police forces in America are using Russian shotguns, and
some police forces in Europe could purchase the Saiga or Vepr-12
magazine shotguns, both use the classic and time-proven
Kalashnikov design.

The legendary creator of the AK-47
assault rifle Mikhail Kalashnikov has not lived to see the
concern named after him break into the lucrative North American
market as he recently died
at the age of 94.